3 struggling Cubs players who need to get it together soon

The Chicago Cubs have been generally playing solid baseball this year. They picked up series wins against formidable teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Seattle Mariners, and they were competitive in their two series losses against the San Diego Padres and World Series champion Texas Rangers.

But a few of these losses were avoidable and these three players were contributing factors in the team dropping winnable ballgames. It's still very early in the season, but here are three Cubs players who need to start performing better.

1. Kyle Hendricks

Last week, I wrote about how it's too early for the Cubs to cast Hendricks out. And I still believe that. However, after watching the San Diego Padres tee off on Hendricks' not-so-deceptive arsenal, it may be time to think about moving him to the bullpen. The Padres are admittedly a tough lineup to deal with, but giving up seven earned runs and nine hits over five innings of work is a bit much. Especially when it's your third straight outing of giving up 5 or more earned runs.

The Cubs will likely let Hendricks play out the rest of April in the rotation but I think it would be foolish to leave him there if he continues to struggle like this. He's slated to face the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team that just went to the World Series last year, the Miami Marlins, and the Boston Red Sox to close out the month. These teams will be good tests for Hendricks as the Diamondbacks and Red Sox should be a challenge worthy of examining Hendricks' ability. On the other side of the spectrum, the Marlins look like an absolute mess this year with a 3-14 record, which is the second worst in MLB. If Hendricks struggles against them, a demotion to the bullpen should be a certainty.

By that time, Justin Steele should be close to a return so maybe the timing will work out for him to take Hendricks' spot.

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